Tucker Carlson starts conspiracy theory that Adam Schiff is 'clearly, demonstrably mentally ill'

On Thursday, Fox News' Tucker Carlson attacked House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA) for pursuing impeachment of President Donald Trump over his efforts to extort dirt on former Vice President Joe Biden from Ukrainian officials.

"We've set up terrible incentives where you don't get on television unless you say extreme and mindless things," said Carlson. "What is surprising is how so many of these extreme and mindless statements come from people with long and distinguished careers, debasing themselves in order to be on television. The prime example is the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Adam Schiff of Burbank, California. He recently went into a kind of trance and delivered his own prophetic version of what he believed must have happened between President Trump and the president of Ukraine."

"This is the essence of what the president communicates," said Schiff in the clip. "'We've been very good to your country, very good, no other country has done as much as we have. But you know what? I don't see much reciprocity here. I hear what you want, I have a favor I want from you though. I'm going to say this only seven times so you better listen good. I want you to make up dirt on my political opponent, understand? Lots of it.'"

This is, to be clear, a fairly decent, if exaggerated, paraphrase of what Trump said based on the recorded notes the White House itself released to the public. But to Tucker, this is proof Schiff is "mentally ill."

"Keep in mind, that isn't some guy babbling in the men's room at Starbucks, that is the man who chairs the mighty House Intelligence Committee," said Carlson. "We trust him with the most sensitive information, and yet he is clearly, demonstrably mentally ill."

Carlson went on to complain that "Asking about [Biden] gets you impeached. Remarkably, for the moment until they wake up, the rest of his party appears to agree with him. [Congresswomen] Ilhan Omar and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are thrilled by all of this."

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